A TARDIS Adventure
by ZenoNoKyuubi
Summary: Harry's life, along with that of Hermione's, changes when he receives a watch for his seventeenth birthday. It is the fob watch of the last of the Time Lords... Doctor!Harry AU
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first Doctor Who fic, so I'd be much obliged if you gave me some constructive critisism. In this fic, the Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Doctor never happened. Harry is the Ninth Doctor. Please review, and above all, please enjoy. The updates will be very sporadic, as I will update this only when I have the time to do so.**

–

Harry Potter was sitting in a couch in the living room of the Burrow, the day after his seventeenth birthday. In his hand was a very strange watch. It had an intricate design, with symbols carved here and there, circles and lines all over the lid. It had been posted from Gringotts. Apparently, it was passed down from his father to be given to him on his seventeenth birthday.

The watch apparently had quite the history, known to span back ten generations, passed down from father to son, according to the letter that had accompanied the watch. According to said letter, opening the watch was impossible, but Harry found that it was quite possible. He had never fully opened the watch, however, as he was afraid of what it might hold.

Opening it about one millimeter, he snapped it shut again, then put it in his pocket. Then, he took it out again and opened it two millimeters, before snapping it shut once more. He didn't know if he dared open it more than that. After all, Harry had never had much luck with magical objects. Riddle's diary was a testament to that.

But this watch, however, there was something about it that really reached out to him, something... different... Holding it, Harry felt a certain longing he had only felt when he lay in the grass, staring up at the stars...

Taking a deep breath, he opened it fully and stared at the time device. Immediately, he was showered with information, knowledge and memories. A bright, golden light enveloped him, exploded out of every single pore of his body.

After almost thirty seconds, it ended. The light stopped, and where Harry once sat, now sat a slightly different Harry. His scar was gone, his hair longer, now reaching down to his shoulders. He was a bit taller, and his body a bit fitter.

"That... was different... Never been in a wizard's body before," Harry said to himself, rising from the couch and stretching. It felt very... weird... He took off his glasses, as his vision was now blurry with them on.

"Harry," came a tired-sounding voice from the stairs. He looked over to see a sleepy Hermione standing on the bottom step, rubbing her tired eyes. "What was that noise?"

"Oh, hello, Hermione!" Harry said happily. "Fancy meeting you here! Then again, it's no surprise that you're here, is it?"

Hermione sighed and opened her eyes, getting a good look at Harry. Her jaw dropped in surprise.

"Harry! Your scar! Your hair!"

Harry hummed and felt his pulse. Four beats, two pulses, two hearts. He grinned at Hermione and said, "Yeah, _that's_ what you'll find to be weird about me."

"What are you talking about? What happened to you?"

"Come with me, Hermione, I'll tell you a thrilling tale, though not really all that thrilling, but very informative, a tale that even I didn't know about until two minutes ago."

Harry moved over to Hermione and grabbed her arm, pulling her with him to the kitchen, where he sat her down at the kitchen table, and took a seat himself.

"Tell me something, Hermione, have you ever heard of a Time Lord? Of course you haven't. It'd be ridiculous if you had. Is this how I am now? Naturally talkative?" he asked in surprise, while Hermione just gaped at him in silent disbelief. "Anyway, this story begins many moons ago. Ten generations, to be exact. You see, I am a Time Lord, an alien from the planet Gallifrey. You with me so far? Of course you are. You're Hermione. You don't believe me, yet you're registering every single word I'm saying, that's what I like about you.

"Anyway, I'm from the planet Gallifrey, and I'm a time-traveling, planet-hopping Time Lord known as the Doctor. Ten generations ago, when I reached my nine hundred and second year, I grew weary of living in solitude, so I sealed my Time Lord essence in this nifty little watch, effectively turning me human. I married a witch named Nancy O'Leary, and we had a wizard child named Thomas, who married a witch named Andrea Potter. This watch, although my human self had no idea why, was passed down from father to son until it found a suitable body to hold the essence, effectively turning me back into a Time Lord."

"Harry..." Hermione muttered, rubbing her temples. "Did you hit your head or something?"

"Don't believe me? Here," Harry said as he reached out, grabbing Hermione's wrist and bringing her hand to the left side of his chest, letting her feel his heart. Then, he moved her hand to the right side of his chest, letting her feel his other heart. Hermione's eyes widened, and she pulled her hand back with a gasp.

"That... You... What the...?"

"I told you, Time Lord. Two hearts," Harry said smugly. "Anyway, back to my tale. I, as Harry, opened the watch, absorbing the Time Lord essence, turning me back into the Doctor, which you will be referring me to from now on. I regenerated, a way for Time Lords to cheat death, and turned into this," he finished his tale, gesturing for himself.

"Alright... Say I believe you..." Hermione whispered, closing her eyes, appearing deep in thought. "How does one fit nine hundred years of knowledge and memories into a watch?"

"Using the Chameleon Arch, of course," Harry said, happy to speak. He really did love his voice. "The Chameleon Arch is a piece of Time Lord technology which can modify the biology of a Gallifreyan, so the cells register as another species. It's a cellular modifier used to store a Time Lord's memories and original biological information." He looked over Hermione's disbelieving face and smiled. "You still don't believe me, do you?"

"Not really..." Hermione said. "You have to admit, it's a bit out there."

"So is a flying carriage pulled by pegasuses? Pegasi? Whatever, winged horses," Harry said simply, smiling brightly at Hermione. "Tell you what, how about I take you to see my TARDIS?"

"Your what?" Hermione asked, blinking.

"My TARDIS. Time And Relative Dimension In Space. TARDIS. It's a space-time vehicle used by the Time Lords. Wanna see it?"

"You really believe all this, don't you?" Hermione asked in disbelief. Then, she sighed. "Very well... Doctor... Show me your TARDIS."

"Come on," Harry said, grabbing Hermione's hand and pulling her to her feet, before rushing out of the Burrow, past the anti-apparition wards, and then, without a word, he turned on the spot and disappeared with Hermione.

The two of them reappeared in the darkness at the outskirts of a forest. Harry immediately started walking, looking over the trees and humming every now and then.

"Har- Doctor, where are we?" Hermione corrected herself at a look from Harry, or rather, the Doctor.

"The Forest of Dean," the Doctor said simply. "I left my TARDIS here somewhere, in case I'd ever come back. Cloaked, naturally."

"Naturally..." Hermione said dryly. "Harry, this has gone on long enough. You've obviously taken some kind of hit to the head, and I think we should-"

"Hold it," the Doctor said, raising a hand. "This is it! This is where I left it!" He reached out and snapped his fingers. In front of their eyes, a blue police telephone box appeared out of thin air, fading into view slowly, and the Doctor grinned widely.

"Still think I'm crazy?" he asked Hermione, then gestured for her to follow him. "Wait until you see the inside!"

He opened the door to the telephone box and waved Hermione inside. She went in, albeit hesitantly, and gasped as soon as she got inside.

The inside of the telephone box was much larger than the outside. Much, much larger. Immediately inside was a large, domed room with a large, bronze, mushroom-shaped console in the center, that had a column of light in the very center of it, going straight up into the ceiling. It looked like a massive coral of some sort, with it's very strange design of winding, twisting bronze pillars.

"Now do you believe me?" the Doctor asked as he crossed his arms with a smirk. Hermione was just staring around gaping.

"This... This is amazing... You're telling the truth, really telling the truth, aren't you?" she asked, and the Doctor nodded seriously.

"I am. Would you like to take a trip?" Harry asked as he closed the door and walked over to the console.

"Harry, I'm hardly dressed properly."

"Doctor."

"Doctor," Hermione corrected herself, nodding slowly.

"And don't worry about clothes. I have plenty. No robes, though. Had never encountered any wizards before I locked away my essence, really. And besides, robes? Who wears that these days? Too sixteenth century," the Doctor said with distaste. He started pressing away at the console, pushing a button here, pulling a lever there, doing something energetic with a pump somewhere else. The pillar of light in the center started glowing brighter, and a grinding sound reverberated through the TARDIS, which started shaking something fierce.

Hermione gave off a yelp of surprise as she fell over, her eyes wide in surprise. Then, as soon as it had begun, the grinding and the shaking stopped, and the Doctor grinned down at Hermione.

"Right, a change in clothing before we go?" he said and pointed. "There's a wardrobe through there. First left, second right, third on the left, go straight ahead, under the stairs, past the bins, it's the fifth door on your left."

–

"How do I look?" the Doctor asked as he came out of his dressing room, wearing a leather jacket over a dark brown, round-necked shirt, faded slacks and battered shoes. His hair was tied into a ponytail, and if he'd say so himself, he looked quite good.

"Very seventies," Hermione said, now wearing a pair of jeans, a tee, and a pink sweater. The Doctor grinned.

"That's the point."

He opened the door to the TARDIS and led Hermione outside, at which point her eyes widened considerably at the different election posters posted all around them in London.

"Doctor..." Hermione said, blinking. "Where are we?"

"The question you should ask is... _when_ are we?" the Doctor said with a pleased grin as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Nineteen seventy-nine, Margaret Thatcher just became the country's first female prime minister," he said, scratching his ear absentmindedly.

"Nineteen seventy-nine..." Hermione whispered in disbelief. Then, her eyes widened in realization. "Doctor, we can meet your parents!"

"And say what?" the Doctor asked, laughing out loud. "'Hi, mum, dad, I'm your son and many times great grandfather who's just traveled through time?'"

"Many times great..." Hermione repeated. "Wait, do you mean that you're the Doctor, and the Harry I knew is, what, gone?"

"Not at all. Well, kind of," the Doctor added, humming. "I suppose the best way to explain it is that both Harry and my old self are gone, and that we have merged to become what you see before you right now."

"This is big..." Hermione muttered, and the Doctor slung an arm around her shoulders, leading her back into the TARDIS. "Wait, aren't we going exploring?"

"Nah, we can come back whenever we want. No, there are other things that need doing in this universe."

"U-Universe?" Hermione stuttered, and the Doctor laughed as he closed the door.

"This is not just a time machine. It can also go anywhere in the universe. Want to see Pluto? I figured we'd start out small. If you want, of course."

"I... I think I'd like to stay on earth for a while," Hermione said, plopping down on the floor while still staring disbelievingly around the TARDIS. "Did you build this yourself?"

"No, of course not. A TARDIS isn't built, it's grown," the Doctor said simply, making Hermione's eyebrows shoot up.

"Grown?"

"Grown," the Doctor confirmed, smirking. "And, weeell, I didn't grow this one. It might have belonged to another Time Lord named Marnal, which I kind of borrowed without permission. But with every intention of giving it back."

"So why didn't you?" Hermione asked, and immediately noticed how the Doctor's face grew sad, a forlorn look on his face.

"There... There was a war..." he said, slowly turning a dial on the console without looking at Hermione. "I'm the last of the Time Lords now."

Hermione drew in a breath, clapping a hand to her mouth as the implications of what that statement meant hit her. A whole race had been wiped out.

"I'm... Doctor, I'm so sorry."

"It was a long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away," the Doctor said, a hint of a smirk on his face. "Don't worry your bushy little head about it. Now, I think it's for the best if we don't tell the Weasleys about my change. If Ron found out that I was a time-traveling alien on top of a world-famous wizard..."

"Yeah," Hermione said, nodding in agreement. They didn't need to speak out loud what would happen. They both knew.

"So!" the Doctor said, clapping his hands together and rubbing them. "Milady, where would you like to go? Backwards or forwards in time?"

"You can't go forwards in time, only backwards," Hermione said, and the Doctor laughed.

"You've obviously never been in a TARDIS. I know, this is going to blow your mind!" he said as he started pushing buttons, then started pumping a lever furiously. Hermione, who had slowly been wrapping her mind around this whole thing, suddenly felt a spark of excitement. If they could go anywhere they wished... The possibilities... Go back to the time of Merlin and meet the man himself! She could see the great Goblin Rebellion of Fourteen Fifty-Five with her own eyes!

Outside, with a swirling kaleidoscope of shimmering color flaring around it, the TARDIS tumbled through a time vortex. Inside, the Doctor turned a dial as the telltale grinding sound of travel ebbed away.

"Where are we?" Hermion asked, and the Doctor gestured toward the doors. Hermione smiled, suddenly feeling excited. "What's out there?"

The Doctor gestured again. Hermione stepped outside the doors to find herself in some kind of wooden room. The Doctor followed, and fishing some long, metallic wand out of his pocket, he opened the shutters of an enormous window. They went down the stairs and found themselves staring down at planet Earth.

"You lot," the Doctor said. "You spend all your time thinking about dying. But you never take the time to imagine the impossible. Maybe you survive. This is the year five-point-five-slash-apple-slash-two-six. Five billion years in your future. This is the day... hold on..." He looked at his watch, and just then, a shockwave went through the sun, which started to grow rapidly. "This is the day the sun expands," the Doctor continued, looking with a smile at the stunned Hermione. "Welcome to the end of the world."

–

"_Shuttles five and six now docking. Guests are reminded that platform one forbids the use of weapons, teleportation and religion. Earth Death is scheduled for fifteen thirty-nine, followed by drinks in the Manchester Suite,"_ came a female voice over the speakers as the Doctor and Hermione walked through a corridor on board the space station they had landed in.

"So, when it says 'guests,' does that mean people?" Hermione asked, and the Doctor raised an eyebrow.

"Depends on what you mean by people."

"I mean people. What do you mean?"

"Aliens," the Doctor said simply. Hermione took a few seconds to wrap her mind around that concept.

"What are they doing on board this spaceship? What's it all for?"

The Doctor started to open a door with his metal wand, which he had informed her was known as a sonic screwdriver.

"It's not really a spaceship. More like an observation deck. The great and the good are gathering to watch the planet burn."

"What for?"

"Fun."

They entered a large observation gallery, and the Doctor looked back at Hermione.

"Mind you, when I said the great and the good, what I mean is, the rich."

"But, hold on, they did this once on Newsround Extra, the sun expanding. That takes hundreds of years."

"Millions," the Doctor said. "But the planet's now property of the National Trust. They've been keeping it preserved. See down there?" he asked and pointed out the window at tiny glints of light orbiting the Earth. "Gravity satellite. That's holding back the sun."

"The planet looks the same as ever," Hermione said, peering out the window. "Now I know that can't be right. The continents should have shifted."

"They did. And the Trust shifted them back," the Doctor said. "That's a classic Earth. But now the money's run out, nature takes over!"

"How long has it got?"

The Doctor looked at his watch.

"About half an hour. And the planet gets roasted."

"So, what are we doing here?"

"I want to see it end," the Doctor said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I, meaning my previous self, has saved this world so many times. But all things must come to an end. Time's up for the Earth."

"But what about the people?"

"It's empty! They're all gone. All left."

Hermione looked back to the window, realization dawning on her. "Just me, then, now that you have suddenly turned into a two-hearted alien."

A blue-skinned man approached them, looking very, very angry with them.

"Who the hell are you?" he demanded, and the Doctor spun around to face him.

"Oh, that's nice! Thanks."

"But how did you get in? This is a maximum hospitality zone. The guests have disembarked! They're on their way any second now!"

"That's me, I'm a guest, look! I've got an invitation!" the Doctor said as he reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a small leather wallet and flashing it at the Steward, showing a blank piece of paper inside it. "Look, there you see? It's fine, see? The Doctor plus one. I'm the Doctor, and this is Hermione Granger. She's my plus one. That alright?"

"Well... obviously," the Steward said, nodding, and the Doctor grinned. "Apologies, et cetera. If you're on board, we'd better start. Enjoy."

The Doctor nodded at him. After the Steward walked off, the Doctor showed Hermione the card he had flashed.

"The paper's slightly psychic. Shows them whatever I want them to see. Saves a lot of time."

"He's blue," Hermione said, still staring at the Steward.

"Yeah."

"Okay..."

The Steward, standing at a podium by the door, started speaking into a microphone, "We have in attendance, the Doctor and Hermione Granger. Thank you! All staff to their positions."

He clapped his hand, and a whole bunch of little blue people came out from out of nowhere and started scurrying around.

"Hurry now! Thank you, as quick as we can! Come along, come along! And now, might I introduce the next honored guest, representing the forest of Cheem, we have Trees. Namely, Jabe, Lute, and Coffa."

The doors opened, and three people, strange-looking humanoids with large, intricate heads, and wood-like skin, came in, two of them males wearing armor, and the third a woman, wearing a dress.

"There will be an exchange of gifts representing peace," the Steward said. "If you can keep the room circulating, thank you. Next, from the solicitors Jolco and Jolco, the Moxx of Balhoon."

The Doctor smiled cheerily as Hermione looked bewildered, when a blue-skinned, dome-headed, fat little creature came in, sitting on a remote-controlled chair, his legs too small and weak to carry his weight.

"And next, the inventors of hyposlip travel systems, the brothers Hop Pyleen. Thank you! Cal 'Spark Plug'. Mr. and Mrs. Pakoo. The Ambassadors from the City State of Binding Light."

Jabe, the female Tree approached the Doctor. On either side of her, her companions were holding plant trays with little shoots in them.

"A Gift of Peace," Jabe said, taking a cutting and handing it to the Doctor. "I bring you a cutting of my grandfather."

"Thank you!" the Doctor said, handing the cutting to Hermione. "Yes, gifts... erm..." He cleared his throat and started feeling his jacket for something. Finding nothing, he said, "In return, I give you air from my lungs," and blew gently onto the face of Jabe, who closed her eyes briefly.

"How... intimate," she said as she opened her eyes again.

"There's more where that came from," the Doctor said flirtatiously, winking at her, and she smiled.

"I bet there is..."

Hermione had the sort of look on her face that was to be expected of someone who had just witnessed their newly transformed best friend flirting with a walking, talking tree.

"Sponsor of the main event, please welcome the Face of Boe," the Steward announced. A huge head in an equally huge jaw filled with some sort of liquid was wheeled through the doors as the Moxx of Balhoon approached the Doctor and Hermione.

"The Moxx of Balhoon," the Doctor greeted with a nod, which the Moxx returned.

"My felicitations on this historical happenstance. I give you the gift of bodily saliva," he said, and spat very accurately into Hermione's left eye, making the Doctor laugh.

"Thank you very much," the Doctor said as Hermione rubbed the spit out of her eye.

"Refreshments will now be served. Earth Death in thirty minutes," the Steward announced.

Hermione had a lost, overwhelmed expression on her face. Everywhere she looked there were aliens, but no other humans. She rushed from the gallery. Concerned, the Doctor started to follow her, but was stopped by Jabe.

"Doctor?" she said and snapped a photo of him when he paused. "Thank you."

Nodding, the Doctor proceeded on, Jabe walking in the opposite direction.

"Hermione!" the Doctor called as he stepped out into the corridor, stopping the running woman in her tracks. "Where are you going?"

"I just... I had to get out of there..." Hermione muttered as the Doctor approached her. "It's a bit overwhelming."

"It can be a bit hard to take in, but hey! You survived being exposed to the magical world, right?" the Doctor asked, smiling and patting Hermione on the shoulder. "Just embrace this new universe you've been introduced to."

Hermione closed her eyes and took a long breath, a look of deep concentration on her face. Then, she exhaled slowly and opened her eyes.

"Alright."

"Splendid!" Harry said happily. "Now, wanna come back inside and watch the world explode?"

"Yeah, sure."

–

"_Earth Death in one minute. Earth Death in one minute."_

"Just look at it," the Doctor said to Hermione as he stood watching the Earth. "Nine and a half billion years. I'd say this planet's had a good run."

"Watching something like this, the death of a planet, from space... It makes you feel so..."

"Insignificant," the Doctor agreed with a nod, only to get a cross look from Hermione.

"I was going to say small."

"Small and insignificant," the Doctor said, only to get smacked in the chest by his female companion.

"You know what really gets me?" Hermione said, looking deeply thoughtful. "Billions of years since the Earth was created, and yet billions of planets haven't even been born yet... Even Earth is just an insignificant speck, a small, hardly noticeable dot in the universe."

"That's pretty deep. But there aren't many species that are quite like humans," the Doctor said. "It's sad to see them no longer inhabiting the earth."

"_Planet explodes in ten... nine... eight... seven... six... five... four... three... two... one..."_

The planet below was suddenly engulfed by the sun, the surface scorching and the crust slowly burning away. Then, it exploded, to applause from the spectators, including the Doctor, who clapped solemnly.

Within moments, the Manchester Suite was emptied, as everyone had finished their drinks and were ready to head home.

"_Shuttles four and six departing. This unit now closing down for maintenance."_

The Manchester Suite was now completely empty apart from Hermione, who was standing at the window watching the Earth with a very vulnerable and sad look on her face, oblivious to the Doctor watching her from the doorway. Rocks flew past the window, and she turned around when she heard the Doctor's footsteps as he came to stand beside her.

"The end of the Earth. It's gone," Hermione said. "All those years... all that history... gone to thunderous applause..."

The Doctor held out his hand to her. "Come with me," he said.

Hermione took his hand, and they walked away together, back to the TARDIS.

Back in nineteen ninety-seven, the TARDIS appeared behind the chicken coop at the Burrow. It was still nighttime there. The Doctor and Hermione got out of the TARDIS and the Doctor snapped his fingers, cloaking it once more. Hermione looked over the little village, seeing it in a new light as the Doctor stood beside her.

"You think it'll last forever. People, cars, concrete... But it won't. One day, it's all gone. Even the sky. Just like my planet."

"You were right," Hermione said, sighing. "I do feel insignificant. But in a good way."

"How does one feel insignificant in a good way?" the Doctor asked, blinking. Hermione smiled brightly.

"My life is short, insignificant, not even living through a mere fraction of the planet's history, let alone the universe's. Therefore, I figure I should go out there, see as much as I can while I can."

"A very good view," the Doctor said, patting Hermione on the shoulder. "But you should never believe that your life is insignificant."

Hermione smiled, but didn't answer. Instead, she just looked at him and said, "Can we go inside now? I'd kind of like to get some sleep."

"Of course."

–

**So, what did you guys think? I realize that I took most of this from Episode 2 of Series 1, but I couldn't think of a better way to introduce Hermione to the TARDIS and time-travel. Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here we go, the second chapter. Hope you all read, enjoy, and review!**

–

When Hermione awoke the next morning, she groaned and stretched in her bed. That was one weird dream she had. Time travel, Harry being an alien calling himself the Doctor, for whatever reason, time-machines that one grew instead of built... She had to stop eating so much before bed. It always gave her strange dreams...

Hermione got out of bed and headed for the bathroom to brush her teeth and shower. When she was done, she headed out of the bathroom and back into her and Ginny's room, to find that the ginger had already woken up and left the room. Then, as she was going to get dressed, she noticed something.

The pink sweater was there... and the jeans, which she had not owned until she took a trip in the TARDIS...

Did that mean... last night had been real? She _could_ travel in time, and to other planets?

"Oh my..." Hermione muttered, absentmindedly putting on new clothes while staring at the clothes she wore last night. Then, she realized it. It was real... It was _real_!

Hermione excitedly made her way down the stairs. After finishing her breakfast, she immediately charged outside and made her way to the back of the chicken coop, where the blue box stood uncloaked. Smiling brightly, she opened the door and went inside.

The Doctor sat cross-legged on the floor , fiddling with his sonic screwdriver. Next to him lay his wand, which was cracked open. Hermione's eyes widened when she saw it.

"Doctor," she said, slowly approaching him. "What have you done with your wand?"

"Oh, good morning!" the Doctor said brightly, looking up at Hermione. He twirled the sonic screwdriver in his hand. "I've upgraded it. Look. Reparo," he said, pointing his sonic screwdriver at the wand shell, which repaired itself. "_Magic_ screwdriver!"

"You can't use metal as a magical guiding rod..." Hermione muttered, to which the Doctor gave a bark of laughter.

"You also supposedly couldn't travel forwards in time, either," he said, getting up. "So, ready to make another trip?"

Immediately, Hermione's shock was washed away in favor of excitement. She nodded energetically.

"Hold on, then!" the Doctor said excitedly and started working at the console, pushing buttons and pulling levers. The grinding sound was heard again, and the TARDIS started shaking something fierce. Hermione stumbled and fell, getting up again and stumbling over to the console.

"Pull that lever!" the Doctor ordered, pointing to a red lever on the other side of the console. Hermione did as ordered, precariously walking over to the lever and pulling it. "Hold it down, and hold onto your knickers! It's gonna get bumpy!"

With one last energetic shake, the TARDIS stopped, and the Doctor exhaled, letting go of the console.

"There we go, not so bad, right?"

"Where are we?" Hermione asked, finally letting go of the lever, which slid back into its original position.

"Oh, Godric's Hollow, though it's not called that yet," the Doctor said with a teasing grin, which only made Hermione's excitement grow.

"Alright, then," she said slowly, an excited smile on her face. "When are we?"

"Oh, around the forties, tenth century," the Doctor said, looking pleased with himself. Hermione's smile brightened, and she charged toward the door, only to be stopped by the Doctor calling out to her. "Hold up there, where do you think you're going, dressed like that? You'll cause a riot. To the wardrobe you go."

"What about you? I don't know if the regeneration scrambled your brains slightly, but leather jackets weren't exactly fashion in the tenth century. Aren't you going to dress up?"

"Excuse me," the Doctor said, pointing at his shirt underneath the leather jacket, a white shirt this time. "New shirt."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

–

"Wow, will you smell that air?" the Doctor said as the two stepped out of the TARDIS. Hermione was now wearing a long, flowing red dress, and her hair, not at all as bushy as it was when they were younger, was now tied back into a ponytail much like the Doctor's hair. "It's so... fresh!"

"Not at all many buildings, are there?" Hermione asked, looking around the empty, green landscape. "It's hard to believe that this whole place will have a bunch of houses in a few years, once Gryffindor helps found the school. Has he?"

"Not yet. I think he's in his late teens right now. He won't found Hogwarts for another few years," the Doctor said, still looking around with an excited look on his face.

"Halt!" came a strong voice as the two started walking, and the clapper of hooves was heard approaching them. They looked over to see a brownish-red haired man come riding toward them atop a horse. He looked young, in his late teens, yet fit and strong, holding his head up high. Although he had no beard yet, Hermione recognized him immediately from a Hogwarts painting. Godric Gryffindor himself, with his historical sword at his side.

"Who dares trespass on Gryffindor land?" Godric Gryffindor demanded, drawing his sword and pointing it at the two. "Speak now!"

"Good morning, good Gryffindor!" the Doctor said happily, taking out his psychic paper and showing it to the horse rider. "I am Sir Doctor of TARDIS, and this is my companion Lady Hermione. We are merely passing through. We apologize, we didn't know this land was owned by anyone. Right, Hermione?" he asked, nudging Hermione, who cleared her throat.

"Uh, verily, we did naught knoweth-"

"Don't..." the Doctor said, shaking his head. "Just... Just don't do that..."

"I apologize, Sir Doctor," Gryffindor said as he sheathed his sword. "My father tells me I am too eager to draw my sword, and I suppose he is right."

The man got off his horse and gave a bow of his head.

"I am Godric Gryffindor. Please accept my apologies and feel free to quench your thirst at my house."

"Oh, much obliged," the Doctor said happily.

"I can't say I'm an expert at time travel," Hermione whispered to the Doctor as Godric started walking away with his horse, gesturing for them to follow, "but I'm pretty sure Gryffindor spoke Anglo-Saxon, not new English..."

"That's the beauty of the TARDIS," the Doctor said with a pleased smile. "It generates a telepathic field, gets inside your brain and translates for you."

"It's inside my brain?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"Well, in a good way."

Hermione looked a bit uncomfortable at the prospect of the TARDIS entering her brain, but she followed the happily smiling Doctor nonetheless.

"You will have to forgive me for acting so rashly, Sir Doctor," Godric said apologetically. "But there has been a string of murders around here. Some say that the dead are walking again, putting curses on the living. Rubbish, I say, but I know there is something out here."

"Is there a village nearby, Godric?"

"Aye, about ten kilometers north from here," Godric said, nodding. "That is where all the murders have taken place. The village is panicking, thinking it is some form of witchcraft. Curses and rituals and voodoo magic, they say."

"What makes them say that?" the Doctor asked, raising an eyebrow. Godric looked a bit uncomfortable with the topic, but answered nonetheless.

"One man, the mayor, died in the middle of the street, no water anywhere. He just started jerking and collapsed, as though lightning was going through him."

"Magic can't do that," Hermione said, then clapped her hands to her mouth, getting a surprised look from Godric.

"You are magical?"

"Yes, I am a wizard, and Hermione is a witch, quite capable, too, if I may say so myself," the Doctor said, clapping a hand on Hermione's shoulder.

"So am I," Godric said, his face turning a bit forlorn. "The people suspect that I am magic, and therefore blame my family for what has happened. They have no proof, of course, and therefore will not act on their suspicions. I wish there was some place I could go where people need not be afraid of persecution, where they can learn magic in peace."

"Perhaps you should make a school somewhere?" the Doctor suggested, making both Godric and Hermione go wide-eyed.

"A school..." Godric mumbled to himself. "A place where people can learn magic without having to worry about persecution by the non-magic folk... That is a very good idea, Sir Doctor. It is only too bad that I cannot make that dream reality."

"Oh, you'll find a way, I'm sure," the Doctor said brightly. "It's a brilliant idea, after all. Maybe you can get some friends to help you?"

"Well, Salazar, my best friend, has been wanting to find a quiet place where he can find an apprentice and teach them magic," Godric said thoughtfully. "Thank you, Sir Doctor! In return for this idea, I shall lend the two of you a horse, so that you can make your way to the village!"

"Thank you kindly," the Doctor said. Godric nodded, and they walked in silence for a while, until they reached a moderately sized hour. Godric led them to the stables, and gave the two of them a horse, a black stallion named Aldin. Hermione sat behind the Doctor on the horse, and unlike the time she went horse riding in France, the dress forced her to ride sideways.

"Go north, and you will find the village, Sir Doctor," Godric said, waving. "Good luck."

"Thank you, Godric, and good luck with the school idea," the Doctor said, and Godric nodded, waving at them as they rode off.

"Was that wise?" Hermione asked as she watched Godric's house shrinking into the distance. "Telling him about the school, I mean? Isn't that called altering the past?"

"Not at all," the Doctor said. "Merely guiding them on their way. Who knows, maybe the reason the school was founded in the first place was simply because I suggested it to Godric after going back in time?"

Hermione rubbed her temple with the hand not wrapped around the Doctor's waist. "I'm going to blow a fuse wrapping my head around this whole thing, I just know..."

"Yeah, probably. Now, what I want to see is this supposed voodoo magic," the Doctor said, humming. "Smells alien."

"Alien? What makes you say that?" Hermione asked, only to get a look from the Doctor as if she had just dribbled drool on her dress.

"I told you, the smell."

"You can smell that?"

"Apparently. Curious, isn't it?" the Doctor said with a smile. "I'm still getting used to this new body."

"My friend is a two-hearted alien who can travel through time and space and smell other aliens..." Hermione muttered, screwing her eyes shut and shaking her head. "Are you sure I'm not just going 'round the twist?"

"Pretty sure, yeah."

Within a ten minutes, they reached the quaint little village, filled with stone cottages, most of which had smoke rising from the stone chimneys. People stared at them, mostly the Doctor, as they passed through the village. Obviously, strangers were less than welcome there.

"Hello!" the Doctor said happily to a passing villager, flashing his psychic paper. "I am Sir Doctor of TARDIS. Could you, perchance, tell us where we can find an inn?"

"Just down the street, sir," the wide-eyed villager said, gesturing down the street. It's the large house with two chimneys, sir."

"Thank you," the Doctor said with a smile, before urging Aldin on. They headed down the street and found the inn right away. Handing the horse to a stable handler, they went inside.

"Ready for an adventure?" the Doctor asked Hermione, who sighed.

"We're going to investigate the murders, aren't we?"

"Of course we are," the Doctor said as they reached the bar of the inn, which was warm and cozy, and looked very much like the Three Broomsticks. He approached the bartender, flashing his psychic paper. "Excuse me, sir, I am Sir Doctor of TARDIS, and this is my companion Hermione Granger. We have come to investigate the series of murders that have taken place here."

The bartender, a big, bear-like man with a great bushy beard much like Hagrid's, flinched at the mention of the murders, and Hermione noticed how the entire inn had quieted down, no doubt listening in on them.

"We know who it was," the bartender whispered, narrowing his eyes and leaning closer to the Doctor. "Them Gryffindors... They're a strange lot, they are. Always keeping to themselves, always doing mysterious things... We've seen strange-colored lights come from there at night..."

"I suggest, good sir, that you leave the accusations to me. Wouldn't want to burn the wrong person, right?" the Doctor said, tilting his head to the side. Then, he scrunched up his nose, looking to Hermione. "Barbaric, isn't it? Witch burnings, I mean."

"Indeed," Hermione said distastefully. The Doctor turned to the bartender, smiling again.

"Anyway, we would like a room. We were told that our accommodations would be paid for?"

"Er, yes, of course, Sir Doctor, anything you need, feel free to call for me, or the barmaid, Erlene," the bartender said, gesturing for a buxom beauty currently waiting tables, with long, blond hair tied into a ponytail, a beautiful, heart-shaped face, and a pair of captivating, blue eyes. "Erlene!" the bartender called, catching the attention of the barmaid. "Will you take these two up to a free room?"

"Right away, Eorl," the barmaid said, coming over and gesturing for the pair to follow her. "Right this way, sir, miss," she said, walking over to the back of the pub and up a set of stairs. "It's right up these stairs here."

Erlene led them to an empty room with only one bed inside it, and curtseyed them.

"If you need anything, I'll be downstairs," she said, before leaving the room.

"There's only one bed," Hermione said as they were left alone in the room.

"Don't worry," the Doctor said, as he moved over to the window, opening it. "I don't grope in my sleep. I think. Oh, yeah! Can you feel that?" he asked, holding his hands out the window. "That's alien. Definitely, definitely alien."

"You can sense that?" Hermione asked, not really surprised by anything the Doctor did anymore.

"Of course I can. Who do you think I am? I am the man who's saved hundreds of planets, including the world, hundreds of times. Of course I can sense an alien presence..."

"Hey, I've been thinking," Hermione said, approaching the window. "Is the TARDIS safe? I mean, won't someone break in?"

"Oh, don't worry, it's locked, and not even the hordes of Genghis Khan can break into it. And believe me, they've tried," the Doctor said, still staring out the window. "Oh, hello, will you look at that, two historical figures in one day."

Hermione immediately poked her head out to look down into the street, her jaw dropping at what she saw. There, atop a horse, rode none other than the blue-dressed, black-haired, diadem-wearing Rowena Ravenclaw herself. Hermione gasped rather loudly.

"Oh yeah, this must be the day when Ravenclaw meets Gryffindor," the Doctor said with a hum. "Yep, there he comes now," he said, gesturing down the street, where Godric Gryffindor came riding into town atop a black steed. He looked very imperious, holding his head high, despite the fact that people were flinching away from him.

The two watched as the two legendary wizard and witch got of their horses and went inside the inn, one to no doubt drink, and the other to probably find lodgings.

"Come on, let's get downstairs!" the Doctor said excitedly, grabbing Hermione's hand and pulling her out of the room and down the stairs, where they saw Godric sitting alone at one of the tables. Rowena Ravenclaw was standing at the bar, and getting a tankard filled with something, she made her way over to Godric, who looked honestly surprised to see her.

"We're watching history in the making," the Doctor whispered to Hermione, who nodded in excitement. Never had she ever imagined that she would ever get to meet not only Godric Gryffindor, but possibly Rowena Ravenclaw as well. "Let's go and say high."

"What? Wait, no, Doctor!" Hermione hissed as the Doctor walked over to the table, and sat down without asking.

"Hello, Godric! Fancy meeting you here!" he said pleasantly, making Godric's eyes widen.

"Sir Doctor," he said, sounding surprised. "I wouldn't have expected you to stay around for too long."

"Ah, we have nowhere else to go, and thought we might investigate these murders that have been happening around here," the Doctor said, shrugging, and gestured for Hermione to come over. She did so, shyly.

"Lady Hermione," Godric greeted with a bow of his head.

"Just Hermione," Hermione said shyly as she sat down next to Godric, across from the Doctor.

"And just Doctor," the Doctor said, winking.

"Very well. Doctor, Hermione, this is Rowena Ravenclaw, who has also come to investigate the murders, apparently," Godric introduced. "She doesn't seem like much of a fighter, though."

"Looks can be deceiving, Godric Gryffindor," Rowena said huffily. "I'll have you know I am quite capable at defending myself, thank you. Besides, brute force isn't everything. Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure, I always say."

Hermione could barely contain her giggle hearing the famous quote from Rowena Ravenclaw herself. Instead, she disguised it as a cough, and the Doctor smirked knowingly at her.

"So, we're all here to investigate the murders, then?" the Doctor asked, looking around. "Why don't we join forces? Four heads are better than one. Plenty of both brawn and brains."

Godric and Rowena looked thoughtful, and Godric nodded.

"I concur, it would be best if we joined forces."

"I don't know..." Rowena said hesitantly. "I would rather you not see my... investigative methods..."

"What, magic?" the Doctor whispered, making sure no one heard him, and saw Rowena's eyes widen in alarm. "It's alright, we're all magic here. Your wand is sticking out of your sleeve a bit."

No point in telling her that he knew she was magic because he was from the future and went to a school she helped found with Godric, after all.

Rowena discreetly tucked her wand back into her sleeve and silently thanked the Doctor with a nod.

"So, how about it?"

"I guess... I can go with you," Rowena said, nodding slowly. "Whatever this is, I am sure you people can help me, for some reason."

"It's nice to be needed, isn't it?" the Doctor asked Hermione, who nodded as they all got out of their seats and left the inn.

"So, where do we search first?" Hermione asked, looking up and down the street.

"First, I will need to see the spot where the mayor died," the Doctor said adamantly, and Godric nodded.

"It was just up here," he said, leading them down the street. "It happened about two days ago. The mayor had just had a few drinks at the pub, then as he went back to the town hall, he started jerking, and then just collapsed."

"Indeed?" the Doctor said, humming. Then, he came to a sudden halt, as if he has just walked into a wall. "Woah! Smell that?"

Hermione sniffed, and so did Godric and Rowena.

"I smell nothing," she said, getting nods of agreement from the other two.

"Smell harder. Can't you smell it?"

Hermione took some great big sniffs, feeling rather silly doing so, and then she smelled it. "It smells... metallic? Kind of like rusted metal?"

"Exactly, remote controlled electrical charges," the Doctor said, seeing how he had completely lost Godric and Rowena. "They found nothing on the body?" he asked Godric, who shook his head.

"No, the main theory among us magic folk is the killing curse, but people don't jerk when they are hit by it."

"Must have implanted the receiver in his skin while he slept or something," the Doctor said to himself as he looked around. "Question is, who or what was it that pushed the button?"

"Um, Doctor?" Hermione said, leaning in to whisper to the Doctor. "Are you sure it's so smart to talk about these things in front of them? Won't it, I don't know, alter the past or something?"

"Not at all. They're bound to find out about this sooner or later, and considering you can't see anything in the history books, they've either ignored it, or I may have snapped off the time-line and made a completely new one..." the Doctor said, then shrugged happily. "Either or!"

Of course, the Doctor knew to be cautious enough not to make any really great changes in the time-line, but Hermione didn't need to know that. He could amuse himself with the horrified look on Hermione's face for a while.

"You are a very confusing man, Doctor," Godric said, looking bewildered. "However, for some reason your words seem to make sense, therefore I shall not question them, but I do have one question. Have you any idea what we're dealing with?"

"I have a hunch, though those usually prove to be correct," the Doctor said, humming as he held his hand out. "Hm, yes, but where did you come from?" he muttered and took out his now magic screwdriver, holding it out and pressing a button. Luckily, there was no one around to see it. The tip glowed blue, and he read the readings on it. "Alright, let's follow the trail."

"What is that metal wand?" Rowena asked, and the Doctor smiled brightly.

"My magic screwdriver. New design. Don't ask. You wouldn't understand, anyway."

"Try me."

"No, no, you wouldn't understand."

Waving her off, the Doctor walked away, magic screwdriver in hand. Rowena looked at Hermione.

"Is he always this frustrating?" she asked, and Hermione nodded.

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Ooh, yes, you beautiful thing, go!" the Doctor said happily as he ran through the village, following the readings of his magic screwdriver. He weaved in and out of alleys, Hermione, Godric and Rowena following closely.

"Is it some sort of tracker?" Rowena wanted to know of Hermione, who shrugged.

"I didn't even know he had it until this morning," she admitted.

"This is it!" the Doctor said, stopping outside a rundown house at the outskirts of town.

"No one lives there," Godric said. "This house has been abandoned since it's previous owner died five years ago."

"Evidently, someone moved in," the Doctor said. "Wands out."

The three behind him did as they were told and pulled out their wands. The Doctor raised his leg, and kicked down the door.

"Oh," he said, his mouth forming an O-shape as he saw the inside. Then, a hesitant smile appeared on his face, and he waved. "Hello."

Inside were a large group of naked, humanoid creatures with baby-like heads and three fingers on each hand. Each finger had a half-foot long claw on it, and the creatures stood at a good two meters.

"Bloody hell..." Hermione mumbled, gaping at the creatures, who stood, watching them.

"Language," the Doctor chided, before clearing his throat. "I am the Doctor. Who are you?"

"Humans!" one of the creatures in the front said, raising what looked like a very futuristic pistol. The others did the same, and Godric exploded into action. Drawing his sword, he charged in and cut down three of the creatures and Stunned another before the other three could even raise their wands.

Godric attacked, swung his sword and flung curses with a skill that neither the Doctor nor Hermione had ever seen before. Within moments, the creatures were all stunned or dead, allowing the Doctor to take a good, long look at them.

"Slitheen," he said, getting strange looks from the others.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"These guys," the Doctor said, gesturing for the creatures on the floor. "They are the Slitheen family, criminal exiles from the planet Raxacoricofallapatorius."

"There's a mouthful..."

"Quite."

"Wait," Godric said, holding up his hands. "Are you telling me that these creatures are... from beyond the stars?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying," the Doctor said with a nod.

"But why would they come here?" Hermione asked, prodding one of the Slitheen with her foot. The Doctor shrugged.

"To conquer the planet, wipe out the human race, war profiteering, you name it."

"Well, whatever they are, whatever they are here for, these creatures will be put to death in the square for everyone to see," Godric said, glaring down at the Slitheen. The Doctor sucked in a breath.

"Yeaaaah, about that... You can't tell anyone about them," he said. "The human race isn't ready for the implications of life on other planets. They need to be kept in the dark for now. You aren't advanced enough to handle the threat of alien races. It's best if they think you're just a bunch of incompetent monkeys for now."

"For now..." Godric growled. He looked like he really didn't like it, but would go along with the Doctor for now.

"Well, our job here is done," the Doctor said, clapping his hands together. "It's about time for Hermione and I to move on. Come along, Hermione."

Stuffing his hands in his pocket, the Doctor walked off, whistling.

"It was nice meeting you both," Hermione said, curtseying the two of them, before following the Doctor.

"Wait! What do we do about them?" Rowena said, gesturing for the Stunned and dead Slitheens on the floor. The Doctor stopped, and got a cold look in his eyes.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of them when we leave..."

–

"So, what did you do with them?" Hermione asked, standing in the TARDIS with the Doctor, which was now standing next to the rundown building where the Doctor had picked up the Slitheens. He had left without Hermione, and then come back for her, having done something with the Slitheens.

"Never you mind," the Doctor said. Then, he smiled. "So, home?"

"Actually, I'd like to go somewhere else," Hermione said, smiling excitedly. The Doctor grinned and turned a dial on the console.

"Somewhere else, it is!"

–

**So, what did you guys think? Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here we go, the third chapter. Hope you all read, enjoy, and review!**

–

Wherever it was, it wasn't Earth.

Hermione threw open the TARDIS doors and stood looking out, a massive grin on her face. The sky was a shimmering green. Three suns shone through the haze, their heat prickling her skin. The muddy ground was the color of olives and sloped up sharply, while beyond it a range of pale mountains, perfect pyramids, stood like pitched tents on the far horizon.

It wasn't Earth. She was, officially, Somewhere Else.

"Another world..." Hermione closed her eyes, opened her arms and leaned out a little. She felt giddy for a moment as a gentle breeze blew up and ruffled her bushy hair. "You did it, then," she called out to the man who had brought her there.

"Huh?" He sounded preoccupied. "Oh, yeah, right. The alien planet thing."

Hermione heard him crossing over to her and smiled to herself. He gave her a gentle shove in the small of her back, and she stumbled outside. The alien soil squidged beneath her white trainers.

"Oi! Doctor, I was building up to that!"

"What were you gonna do? Plant a flag? Make a speech?" the Doctor asked as he stepped out after her, looking all about. "Nah. Take a giant leap for humankind, and nine times out of ten you squash whatever's beneath you. The best things are always just stumbled upon. Just look," he said softly, pointing to something on the other side of the TARDIS. A single flower.

Hermione went over to see. It was a scraggly specimen, but smelled sweet, and its red petals were the only plats of color in the muddy desert.

"There you go," the Doctor murmured. "Your first contact with alien life on its own turf."

"Literally." Hermione picked up a fallen petal. It felt velvety between her fingertips and made them tingle.

"This could be the rarest flower in the universe, the last of its kind," the Doctor said as his eyes suddenly fixed on hers, clear and unnervingly green. "Or it could be one of billions. Common as daisies. Just the first to poke its head through the soil to greet the three-sunned springtime."

"Doesn't matter, does it? It's here, and so are we!" Hermione said with a smile, and the Doctor grinned back. "But _where_ are we?"  
He shrugged. "Dunno. Edge of the galaxy somewhere."  
"TARDIS not telling?" She still didn't know how Time And Relative Dimension In Space was supposed to explain how come you could disguise a massive control room inside a poky police box and travel anywhere and any time in the universe.  
"What do you think?" the Doctor asked, glancing about.

"You're the nine hundred-year old alien, you tell me!"

"I mean, what do you think of all _this_? Strange air in your lungs. New suns in the sky."

"That's a point... Three suns up there, we'll burn really quickly." Hermione was wearing jeans, a red tee-shirt, and a white jacket, but her face was still exposed. "Maybe we should get some cream?"

"Let's have a poke about before we crack open the Ambre Solaire," the Doctor said and set off up the muddy rise. "See if it's worth sticking around."

"Speaking of sticking," Hermione said, "how come the ground's so soggy when it's so hot?"

He shot her a sideways glance. "This isn't Earth. Earth rules don't apply."

"That's true. I feel lighter," Hermione said, taking a balletic leap after him.

"Less gravity."

"So I weigh half a stone less, and I'll tan three times as fast..." She smiled as she fell into step with him, bouncing along. "We have to stay here forever, you know that, right?"

"Tell you what, if we like the view from this hilltop, I'll dig out the deck chairs," the Doctor said and offered her his hand. "Deal?"

"Deal," she said, taking it.  
They were still hand in hand when they reached the lip of the rise.  
Hermione found they were far higher up than she had realized. And whatever view she had been expecting, it couldn't have been more gobsmacking than this.  
"No more flowers, then." She felt she was overlooking the set of some incredible Hollywood epic. "I thought those things in the distance were mountains _shaped_ like pyramids..."  
"But they're the real thing," the Doctor said, nodding.  
"And are those real Egyptians?"

In the valley far below, tiny figures were building a pyramid right now. The ground area had to be twice the size of Trafalgar Square, thought Nelson's column would barely peep over the second of the five steep steps cut cleanly into the pyramid's sides. These baked-mud plateaus were a seething, sweating mass of activity as workers toiled to disguise the steps and create a true pyramid. Overseers watches, massive arms folded across their well-oiled chests, as scores of sweating men in loincloths heaved huge bricks up ramps of rubble to add to the massive construction. A hundred more were struggling with ropes and pulleys to lower the finishing blocks into position.

"Built the same as your pyramids on Earth," the Doctor informed her. "Buttress walls built up around a central core. Fourth dynasty, maybe."

"And not what you'd expect to find on the other side of the galaxy..."

Hermione watched as a man stumbled and fell while struggling to push a sledge full of rubble down one of the many ramps. An overseer strode forwards at once with a vicious-looking whip, and started laying into him.

The man screamed as the leather lashed him.

"There's no need for that," Hermione said fiercely. "What's going on? I mean, space-traveling ancient Egyptian chain gangs?"

"Doubt it."

"They look human."

The Doctor stared on as a further whip-crack scored through the air.

"Yeah, they act human, too."

The man, his back burned now with four thick red stripes, was dragged to his feet by two more workers and shoved back towards the sledge. Weakly, he struggled with it once more.

"This is horrible," Hermione said, looking disgusted. "Can't we do something?"

"No."

She looked at him sharply. "Oh, yeah? What's this? Posh alien morality?"

"Oh, no, I'm well up for it," the Doctor said. He was looking back the way they'd come. "But I don't reckon they're keen."

Hermione turned back from the lip of the precipice. Four of the overseers had crept up behind them, swarthy, bare-chested, massive, and mean-looking. Each held a heavy whip in one hand.

And a futuristic space gun in the other.

"Okay, so what's the charge?" the Doctor asked, grinning as he raised his hands above his head. "Trespassing on sacred land? Nicking secrets so we can build bigger pyramids down the road?"

Hermione raised her hands, too. "Trust me, whatever you take us for, you're wrong."

"Put the guns down, and we'll explain why," the Doctor said.

The four men ignored them and took a threatening step forward. Then, one of the whips cracked out, and Hermione gasped as the leather bit into her ankle.

"Too far, mate," the Doctor snapped. He kicked the whip handle from the overseer's hand, freeing Hermione. Then, he tried to wrestle the man's gun away.

Hermione took her cue. As the overseers brought their guns to bear on the Doctor, she shoulder-charged one and knocked him flying. Another guard lunged for her, but she dodged aside with a speed that surprised even her. Lower gravity, she realized. She wrestled the gun from his grip, but he swiped it aside and shoved her backwards toward the lip of the precipice.

Hermione tried to duck past him, but his thick, slippery fingers clamped down around her wrists, digging in hard.

"You okay?" the Doctor shouted. One of his opponents lay sprawled in the mud.

"Never better!" she gasped, squirming in the big man's grip. Then, instead of struggling against her attacker, she plonked herself down on her bum, bent up her legs, and shoved her feet against his oiled-up gut and pushed with all her might. That broke his hold, and he fell backwards.

"Leg it!" the Doctor yelled, two of the overseers lying at his feet. "Back to the TARDIS!"

But now the one who'd whipped her was blocking Hermione's way. She pulled her wand, and there was a flash of red light as the man dropped into the mud, Stunned.

"Forgot about that," the Doctor said as they ran down the hill. One of the overseers had gotten back on his feet and was running after them. He reached into his jacket and took out his magic screwdriver, pointing it over his shoulder. Another flash of light, and the overseer fell face-first into the mud.

The duo reached the TARDIS and went inside. The Doctor immediately locked the door, and the two of them collapsed to the floor, panting and laughing.

"Well," the Doctor said, catching his breath and sitting up, "I suppose this is one planet I can add to my list of hostile planets."

"I'll say," Hermione said with another laugh, hearing a banging on the door. "Shouldn't we, I don't know, leave?"

"Yeah," the Doctor said. "This place is impenetrable, but let's not take any chances, right?"

Later, the Doctor had his arms crossed and was leaning with his back against a wall, staring across at the large console that sat in the center of the room, on which a myriad of lights flickered and sparkled. His face shone green in the glow from the tall, thin column in the center of the console, which indicated that they were in flight.

Hermione didn't know where they were going, but perhaps the Doctor could tell from observing these things exactly where in the universe the time-and-space machine was taking them.

"Doctor?" Hermione spoke up. The man nodded, indicating that he was listening. "I've been meaning to ask... Why did you take me with you on these trips? Why not Ron, or Ginny?"

"Ew, why would I bring them along?" the Doctor asked, making a nauseated face. "They're gingers. This new body of mine really doesn't like gingers. Besides, you're much more fun to bring along. You appreciate the thrill of traveling through time and space for knowledge and for the sake of discovery, whereas they would not."

Hermione smiled brightly. "So, where to now?"

"How about the future?" the Doctor asked, walking over to the console and spinning a wheel on it.

–

Chips had been a mistake. Hermione blamed the Doctor. He was used to this time-traveling lark. Other worlds, other times... He ought to have tipped her the wink, explained to her that chips in the year two thousand four hundred and sixty-nine weren't chipped potatoes, but chipped something-or-other-else. Some futuristic vegetable, a bit too soft, a bit too blue, with an oily texture and a peppery aftertaste.

As she pushed her plate aside, though, she felt a familiar tingle. Sometimes, it took just that sort of incidental detail to remind her how far she was from home. That she was breathing the air of the future.

Hermione still found it hard to take in, as if it was too much for her mind to process all at once, and it would only let her focus on one thing at a time. It didn't help that the future was so... mundane. Crowded pavements littered with discarded wrappers, streets clogged with traffic, and the buildings... Almost without exception, they were concrete towers, devoid of character, no more than boxes to hold people. How disappointing.

Peering through the grease-streaked window beside their table, Hermione eyes a line of cars simmering resentfully at a nearby junction. She wasn't even surprised to see a big red bus turning that corner.

Look at the details, she thought. Like the menu, no thicker than a normal piece of cardboard, and yet it projected life-sized aromagrams of its featured dishes. And the way the cars floated over the roadway on air jets, churning the gravel beneath them. And the TV screens, as flat as posters, seemingly attached to every available surface.

This had been her first impression of this place: newsreaders looking down at her from the sides of every building, their words subtitled so as not to be lost in the ever-present traffic grumble. There were two screens in the cafe itself, one behind Hermione, and one of the wall in front.

The Doctor had been attacking his burger with the same gusto with which he tackled Slitheen and other alien menaces. As he glanced up between mouthfuls, though, his eyes followed Hermione's gaze, and his lips pulled into a grimace.

"Yeah, I know," he said. "Not exactly 'Man Bites Dog,' is it? You want those chips?"

Hermione pushed her plate toward the Doctor, who dug in. She didn't even want to contemplate what manner of alien creature that might have come from. Those chips had opened up one hell of a mental can of worms...

"This must be the most boring future ever," Hermione said, looking around the cafe, and the Doctor looked up from scarfing down chips.

"Er, do you mind? I don't do 'boring.' There's something new and exciting to find on every world at any time if you just look for it."

"You know," Hermione teased. "I thought it was only in naff old films that people in the future wore those one-piece jumpsuits. I figure that's why they've been giving us the eye."

"They have?" the Doctor asked.

"Must think we're pretty eccentric," Hermione commented, which made the Doctor chuckle.

"Been a while since I've been called that," he said, smiling.

"You know, I've been thinking," Hermione said, gesturing for the interior of the cafe. "There are people here wearing robes. Are they wizards?"

"Yep," the Doctor said. "In two thousand seventy-five, the magical world was discovered, and since then, they have coexisted with Muggles. The Muggles helped them overcome the barrier between magic and technology, and the wizards helped the Muggles with health-care, for starters. It became a very profitable relationship."

The two sat in silence for a while. Then, the Doctor finished eating and stood up.

"You're right, this place is pretty boring. How about we head to the past, see Hogwarts, eh?"

"Let's!" Hermione said excitedly with a nod as she rose from her seat.

–

Hermione looked down at herself, wondering how daft she seemed. Did she really have to wear a dress again, thin cotton down to the calf? And in mint green? She had found a long, dark cloak with a hood, which she dumped across the TARDIS console.

The Doctor spared her a glance. He was tapping at some meter or other. Satisfied, he nodded and moved to the next control, which was covered by Hermione's cloak. A brief frown, and the Doctor moved on. Hermione watched his fiercely intense eyes reflecting the light of the console as he focused on the next control. She liked the way he stood so still and so confident, yet any second she knew he might break into a broad grin.

Seeming to realize he was being watched, he looked up at her again. "What?"

"Are we there yet?"

"You sound like a kid on an outing."

"I am a kid on an outing. An outing back in time." She couldn't help smiling at the prospect, and he grinned back.  
"Yeah. Great, isn't it? It's nine hundred and ninety-two out there. Or will be in a moment." He tapped encouragingly on a control.  
Hermione laughed. "Tell me again, why do I want to see Hogwarts being built, and not Hogwarts during Merlin's school years?"  
He blinked in feigned disbelief. "Because your best mate's going."  
That made her grin. "So why doesn't he have to dress up for it?"  
He was shocked now, standing back from the console and gesturing at his own clothes. "Excuse me," he said, pointing at his chest. "New-"

"Shirt, again, yeah," Hermione interrupted him. His shirt was black this time, but she didn't think that was enough dressing up on his part, when she had to wear that suffocating dress.

Seeming to read her thoughts, the Doctor shot her a grin. "You look good in that."

Hermione shot him a cross look, but the Doctor ignored her as the light in the center of the console stopped pulsing. As Hermione stepped out of the TARDIS, the first thing she noticed was that there were buildings everywhere. Stone buildings without straw roofs. The sun was blazing, and the people were not at all dressed in medieval clothing. The Doctor poked his head out of the TARDIS and gave a small hum.

"Looks like we undershot it a bit," he said and looked at his wrist watch. "It's not the year nine hundred and ninety-two. It's _fourteen_ hundred and ninety-two, and it's not Scotland. It's Italy."

"Italy..." Hermione mumbled, closing her eyes in thought. What was so special about that year again? Her eyes snapped open with excitement. "We can meet da Vinci!"

The Doctor's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, can we? I hadn't thought of that," he said, only to get smacked in the chest by Hermione.

"Prat."

"The man's a genius," the Doctor said, looping his arm with Hermione's and walking off. "Did you know that he came up with the idea for the submarine and scuba divers long before they were invented?"

"I've heard about that. He came up with many things, didn't he?"

"Indeed he did. He conceptualized a helicopter, a tank, concentrated solar power, a calculator, the double hull, and he outlined a rudimentary theory of plate tectonics."

"Sounds like someone's a fan," Hermione teased with a shrewd smirk, only to get scoffed at.

"As if you're not."

"Very true."

"Not that I'm complaining, but I wonder why the TARDIS sent us here?" the Doctor said as they walked down the street, getting a strange look from Hermione.

"You speak as though the TARDIS has a mind of its own."

"Well, it does," the Doctor spoke, not a hint of joking on his face. "It actually has a soul, and tends to send me wherever it thinks I'm needed sometimes."

Hermione smiled shrewdly and smacked him on the chest again. "You're making that up."

"I'm dead serious," the Doctor said, shaking his head. "Oh, here we go, there's someone important-looking."

Indeed, the man coming out of one of the buildings lining the street was dressed much fancier than the rest of the people around them. The Doctor walked over to him and flashed his psychic paper.

"Excuse me, I'm the Doctor, and this is my assistant, Hermione Granger. We are looking for Leonardo da Vinci's studio?"

The man squinted at the paper, then widened his eyes. "Ah, you are Leonardo's new physician!" he cried, a smile appearing on his face. Without missing a beat, the Doctor nodded.

"Indeed I am!"

"Well then, follow me! I was just heading there myself," the man said and gestured for them to follow him.

The man took them up a steep hill, to an amazing, very storybook-like castle located on a cliff, which Hermione immediately recognized from the movies and history books as da Vinci's workshop, where he made his sculptures and inventions from fourteen seventy-six to fifteen thirteen.

"Leonardo!" the man called as they entered the workshop. From a desk looked up a man who looked to be in his early forties. He was tall and strong, with a big beard and long, black hair. He cast a curious glance at the Doctor, then at Hermione, before looking to the man who had brought them there.

"Yes?"

"These two are here for you," the man said, gesturing for the Doctor and Hermione to step forward, which they did.

"Hello, good sir. I am the Doctor, and this is my assistant, Hermione," the Doctor said, flashing his psychic paper. Da Vinci looked unimpressed.

"Interesting, that paper of yours. It is blank."

The Doctor opened his mouth, then closed it. Then, he spoke, "Oh, that's... very clever. That proves it. Absolute genius. It's a pleasure to meet the great Leonardo da Vinci."

He shook hands with da Vinci, who nodded.

"I am sure."

"Your work is unparalleled, sir," Hermione said, also shaking da Vinci's hand.

"I'm your biggest fan, Leo," the Doctor said, getting a strange look from da Vinci.

"Fan? In what way are you anything like a means of keeping oneself cool?"

"No, fan, means fanatic, admirer, the works."

"Oh. And no one calls me Leo."

"The ladies do," the Doctor said with a teasing smirk, making Leonardo's eyes widen.

"How did you...?"

"I told you, I'm your biggest fan."

Leonardo gave something of a grumble. Then, he pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering under his breath before looking at the Doctor again. "I am sorry, but what are you doing here?"

"Oh, just having a look around, if that's alright with you?"

"Sure, just... do not get in the way, I am working on something."

"Doesn't look like it," the Doctor said, gesturing for the desk, which didn't have so much as a scrap of parchment on it. "In fact, it was looking more like you were slacking off."

"If you must know, I was taking a break. Great artists are allowed to," Leonardo said heatedly, to which the Doctor laughed.

"Of course, of course, and- Oh, hey! This is your clay horse!" he said as he charged off, Hermione in tow. In an adjacent room, there stood a massive horse made out of clay, which only had the tail left to be finished. Hermione gaped. She never would have thought she'd ever see the Gran Cavallo before it was finished. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that.

The Doctor gasped and pulled at Hermione's sleeve, gesturing for a man at another desk, writing in a book. "Look! There's Luca Pacioli! They collaborated on a book together around this time. It's probably that very book he's working on."

"You know an awful lot about me and my peers," came Leonardo's voice from behind them. "Perhaps you truly are as fanatic as you claim to be."

"Oh, more than that, actually," the Doctor said, wrapping an arm around Hermione's shoulders and pulling her close. "Hermione and I are great art lovers."

"I especially liked the Last Supper," Hermione said rather shyly. "It was, truly, a masterpiece."

"What?" Leonardo asked, blinking.

"Not painted yet," the Doctor whispered to Hermione, who gasped. "What she means is, all your paintings are simply masterpieces."

"You are too kind," Leonardo said, bowing his head. His personality seemed to have changed, and he was almost radiating a kindness that Hermione had only ever seen in Professor Dumbledore. "But come, you must be thirsty. Can I offer you some water?"

"That would be nice, thank you," Hermione said, curtseying Leonardo, who clapped his hands.

"Larenzo! Larenzo, where are you?"

A man came over. He looked very strange, that's what the Doctor noticed immediately. His skin was very, very pale, and had an almost dead look to it. His eyes were bloodshot, and he had a very stiff, jerky walk.

"What is wrong, Larenzo?" Leonardo asked, sounding concerned.

"_Nothing is wrong, Leonardo da Vinci,"_ Larenzo said with a wheezing voice. _"Soon, all will be well."_

"Excuse me?" Leonardo asked, blinking, making the Doctor's eyes widen.

"He's not speaking Italian!" he cried and pushed Leonardo aside just as Larenzo lunged for him. Larenzo turned to them, and his skin split down the middle. Another creature rose out of what could only be described as a Larenzo skin suit. It was eight feet tall, had grayish skin with brown flecks on it, and it had three eyes on its head, along with a maw of razor sharp teeth.

The creature once more lunged for Leonardo, but was knocked off course by a shoulder-tackle from the Doctor.

"Leg it!" the Doctor yelled, rushing over and grabbing Hermione and Leonardo's arms, pulling them with him through the panicked apprentices and artists in the workshop.

"What on earth is that?" Leonardo wanted to know as they exited the workshop and jogged down the path leading away from it. "That was not human."

"That was a Gallemyte, from the planet Gallemeck," the Doctor said, making Leonardo's eyes widen.

"Planet... You mean, that thing came from the stars?" he asked, gesturing for the sky, to which the Doctor nodded. "Extraordinary..."

"Indeed, and so are you. That's why it wants you," the Doctor said. "Gallemytes feed on brains. The smarter the brain, the more knowledge it holds, the longer it can sustain them. Your brain, Leo, can keep them going without feeding for years. In fact, all three of us are a group of brain delicacies."

Behind them, the doors of the workshop were smashed off its hinges, and the creature, the Gallemyte, came running after them on all fours.

"Hermione!" the Doctor called, whipping out his sonic screwdriver and spinning around. Hermione took out her wand and yelled, "Stupefy!" at the same time as the Doctor yelled, "Incarcerus!"

The red light hit the Gallemyte, causing it to collapse, unconscious, at the same time as thick and heavy chains materialized around it, binding it tight.

–

"This is extraordinary, indeed!" Leonardo said as he stared around the coral-like design of the TARDIS. They were in a side-room, where the Gallemyte sat in a chair, wrapped tightly in thick, black chains.

"It can't get out of those, can it?"

"She."

"Huh?"

"It's a she," the Doctor clarified, gesturing for the Gallemyte. "See the third eye? Only the females have those. And no, she can't get out of those. They are unbreakable chains, forged in the heart of a dwarf star."

"So, this is a machine capable of traveling through time and space..." Leonardo mumbled, and both the Doctor and Hermione tensed.

"What?" the Doctor asked, raising an eyebrow, feigning ignorance.

"Come now, Doctor," Leonardo said, smiling. "You are from another world like the Gallemyte, and Hermione is from the future. Having seen this, it was not hard to work out."

"That's... incredible... You are incredible," the Doctor said, then looked to Hermione with a grin. "Didn't I tell you he was incredible?"

"You did," Hermione said with a nod.

"So, this creature eats brains?" Leonardo asked, and the Doctor nodded.

"And they never hunt alone. We need to find out how many friends she's brought."

–

**So, what did you guys think? Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here we go, the fourth chapter. Hope you all read, enjoy, and review!**

–

"Rennervate," the Doctor said, pointing his magic screwdriver at the Gallemyte, who jerked awake and immediately started struggling against the chains with a fervor that made Leonardo and Hermione take a step back. The Doctor, however, stood completely still, and stared coldly at the Gallemyte.

"Alright, Ginny, you don't mind if I call you that, do you?" the Doctor asked the Gallemyte, who roared at him. "Very well. Ginny, I'm going to ask you a couple of questions, and if you don't want to be trapped forever in the event horizon of a collapsing galaxy, I suggest you answer my questions and stop struggling."

The Gallemyte stopped its struggles, but it still looked very angry, glaring heatedly at the Doctor, who nodded, looking pleased.

"Good. Now, Ginny, how many of your people did you bring with you?" he asked, only for Ginny's glare to intensify. "I know you never hunt alone, so I know there are more of you out there. I want to know how many."

"Do with me what you wish. I will protect my sons," the Gallemyte spoke, making Leonardo's eyes widen in surprise.

"She spoke Italian!"

"No, you just hear Italian," Hermione whispered. "It's the TARDIS. It gets inside your head and translates everything for you. It's really useful."

"Oh."

"Sons? Plural, then," the Doctor said, and Hermione could see that his mind was hard at work. "A Gallemyte can only give birth once in their life, and they give birth to six children, three girls, three boys, which means we are up against three more Gallemytes."

The Gallemyte's three eyes widened, and the Doctor smiled victoriously. "Thank you, Ginny," he said. "I don't need you anymore, so sit here comfortably while we go get your sons and send you somewhere where you will never hurt another being again."

The Gallemyte roared in the Doctor's face again. "LET ME OUT OF THESE BONDS! I WILL EAT YOUR BRAIN, MARK MY WORDS!"

"Stupefy," the Doctor said calmly, Stunning the Gallemyte again, before spinning around and walking into the console room, Leonardo and Hermione following.

"What do we do now?" Hermione asked, getting a nod from Leonardo.

"I would also like to know that. I mean, am I going to have to look over my shoulder for the rest of my life?"

"Don't be silly," the Doctor said calmly. "What we're going to do is set a trap for the other Gallemytes. But we'll have to be careful. I doubt a single Stunner will work on them. The males have thicker skin than the females."

"So, that was an alien?" Leonardo said, humming. "A visitor from another world... Not quite what I had imagined. And neither are you, Doctor."

"What do you mean?" the Doctor asked, and Leonardo reached into his satchel, taking out a few pieces of parchment, depicting several images of grotesquely shaped men with sagging faced, bulging or elongated skulls... The Doctor's eyes widened as he took the parchments, looking over them in shock. "Where did you get these?"

"I drew them," Leonardo said. "These faces came to me in a dream, and I felt compelled to draw them. Is there something wrong?"

"Is there something wrong? Of course there is!" the Doctor said, holding up a drawing of a man with a drastically elongated skull. "The High Chancellor of the Sallivitae," he said, then showed a drawing of a man with a droopy face and a skull that looked like it held three brains, "the Emperor of the Grokan race, the list goes on. These are all high-rolling aliens. Where on earth did you get this information?"

"I do not know. Like I said, it came to me in a dream."

"When? I need the year."

"Fourteen hundred and seventy-eight. I had spent the last two years drinking a lot, after finding a cave that frightened me something terrible."

"A cave, you say?" the Doctor asked, to which Leonardo nodded. The Doctor hummed and turned his back on Leonardo, and Hermione approached him cautiously.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Caves are the most used spots when it comes to alien abductions. They research humans or experiment on them, then plant false memories in their heads and send them back..." the Doctor said, then turned back to Leonardo. "But it's common for abductees to have pockets of memory blank, pockets that the aliens missed. You say you spent those two years drinking, Leo?"

"Yes?"

"And I suspect you have several days in those two years that you don't remember?"

"Indeed."

"Indeed, indeed..." the Doctor mumbled. "Leo, what happened after you left the cave? Or do you remember leaving it at all?"

Leonardo looked thoughtful for a moment. Then, he shook his head. "No, I remember waking up in an inn outside Florence. I do not remember what happened after I went into the cave, but after those two years, my mind was so full of new ideas, ideas for weapons, flying machines, underwater travel, so many ideas, I had to write it all down. Would you like to see?"

"I've seen them," the Doctor said, but Hermione moved over, unable to resist seeing a legendary book in real life. Leonardo looked happy at the interest and pulled a thick book out of his satchel, handing it to Hermione, who gingerly opened it.

"Leo," the Doctor said, walking over to Leonardo. "I would like to try something on you called hypnosis. I am going to see if the memories you have really are real, or if they have been planted in your head."

"You mean... my memories are not my own?"

"I believe so. Would you like to try it?"

"Please!"

The Doctor nodded and reached up, placing his fingertips along Leonardo's face. "I am going to need you to be quiet, Hermione," he said as he stared into Leonardo's eyes. "Go into the past, to fourteen seventy-six. Let your mind go back, back to when everything was fine and shining. Everything that happened after that happened to somebody else. It was just a story. A winter's tale. Let go. Just let go. What happened to Leonardo after he ventured into that cave?"

Leonardo's mouth was slightly agape, and his eyes were glazed over, and when he spoke, it came out in a monotone. "Leonardo went into the cave, ventured deep inside it. A voice beckoned Leonardo closer. He followed the voice. He was scared, but felt a desire to investigate. Then, Leonardo came upon a bright light, and next thing he knew, he was in a chair. There was metal everywhere, a room full of metal and bright lights. Creatures, strange creatures, put something on Leonardo's head..."

The Doctor nodded, smiling encouragingly. "Good. Keep going..."

"There was a lot of pain. Leonardo's head hurt so bad... Like thousands of needles going through his brain. Leonardo was taken away to a metal cell, and taken back to the room again later, and the pain began again. For two years, this went on... So much pain..."

"Thank you, Leonardo," the Doctor said. "Now, when I snap my fingers, that life will be yours again. You will remember everything."

He snapped his fingers, and Leonardo blinked awake, his eyes widening.

"By God..."

"Doctor?"

"Information download," the Doctor said, then shuffled through the pile of parchment and showing Leonardo the High Chancellor of the Sallivitae. "Was this man among the creatures who put you through so much pain?"

"Yes! Those were the ones!" Leonardo said, nodding. "You called them... the Sallivitae?"

The Doctor nodded. "Also known as the 'Ship-Children.' They are an advanced, alien race, who have come up with more than half of the intergalactic laws in this universe. You are a certified genius, so your brain was capable of holding back-ups of all their files. They downloaded everything into your brain, profiles, histories, defenses... If the Gallemytes got their hands on those... There'd be no telling what they could do..."

"Wait, I thought they just ate your brain?" Hermione said, blinking in confusion.

"They consume the brain and assimilate the knowledge inside it," the Doctor explained. "It's a long, biological process that is very hard to explain, and you probably wouldn't understand even if I did."

"So, what do we do now?" Leonardo asked, and the Doctor hummed, putting a hand on his chin.

"Well, we need some way to lure out the other three Gallemytes... Set a trap of some kind..."

–

"Are you sure about this?" Leonardo asked as he and the Doctor walked through Milan. The Doctor looked as calm as ever, but Leonardo looked nervous. And for good reason. Willingly being the bait in a trap usually made you a bit nervous.

"Of course I am," the Doctor said calmly as he fingered the magic screwdriver in his pocket, ready to draw it at any time. Leonardo waved and greeted the people he passed in the street, keeping up appearances of simply being out for a stroll. The Doctor looked at him. "Alright, the Gallemytes can disguise themselves as humans by stealing their skin. However, the skin they wear is still the skin of a dead body, and therefore it will deteriorate and go bad," he told Leonardo. "So look for someone with a shaky walk, pale skin, and deadish eyes."

"Deadish?" Leonardo asked nervously, waving at a passing Italian. "What do you mean?"

"They look kind of glazed over," the Doctor explained, and Leonardo nodded.

The two made their way up the hill leading toward Leonardo's workshop, and the Doctor patted Leonardo on the shoulder, noticing his nervousness. After all, Leonardo had no magic screwdriver or a wand that could help him defend himself.

"Heads up," the Doctor said suddenly, nodding toward the road ahead, where three people came walking down from Leonardo's workshop, looking very stiff.

As soon as the trio spotted Leonardo, they stopped. The three hunched over, and their bodies split down the middle, revealing three more Gallemytes. These Gallemytes only had two eyes, but were about a foot taller, and their skin was darker. The three of them gave off roars as they charged at Leonardo and the Doctor.

"Was this part of your plan?"

"Not really, I was counting on an attack from behind, but then again, male Gallemytes have never been too clever," the Doctor said as he whipped out his magic screwdriver. "The plan's kaput, Hermione! Go to Plan B!"

Behind them, Hermione threw off the Doctor's invisibility cloak, her eyes wide. "What's Plan B?"

"Wing it!" the Doctor said, firing a Stunner at the closest Gallemyte, who merely stumbled. Hermione fired at the same Gallemyte, who stumbled again, but the third Stunner brought it down. "Down!" the Doctor yelled as one of the Gallemytes lunged at them. He pushed Leonardo down, and fired a bone-breaking curse upwards as the Gallemyte passed by over his head. The curse connected with the Gallemyte's leg, and it let out a roar as it slammed into the ground, trying to get up only to fail.

The last Gallemyte was heading right for Hermione, who sent a Stunner at it, making it stumble. The Doctor sent another Stunner at it, but it wasn't enough to Stun it, and it looked as though it would get to Hermione, but when it was no more than a foot away, it was suddenly body-checked by Leonardo, who wrestled it to the ground.

"Off!" the Doctor yelled, and Leonardo rolled off the Gallemyte just as both the Doctor and Hermione sent a Stunner at it, knocking it unconscious. They then turned and Stunned the second Gallemyte with the broken leg.

"I'll go get the TARDIS, and then we'll take these guys to a place where they can never bother anyone again," the Doctor said, walking off, but not before looking to Leonardo and nodding with a, "Nice tackle, Leo."

Leonardo looked a bit pleased with himself.

–

The Doctor and Hermione lugged the three Gallemytes into the TARDIS, where the Doctor bound them in indestructible chains. Once they were done, they left the TARDIS again to talk to Leonardo.

"What will you be doing with them?" Leonardo asked, and the Doctor stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Oh, I've got a nice little event horizon of a collapsing galaxy where they can spend the rest of eternity, contemplating what they just tried to do," he said, before checking his wristwatch. "Well, we best be off."

With that, he walked back into the TARDIS. Hermione smiled at Leonardo. "It was a great honor to meet you," she said, shaking his hand.

"The honor was all mine, Hermione," Leonardo said, and just then, the Doctor poked his head out of the TARDIS.

"What are you saying goodbye for? You're not coming to watch, Leo?"

Leonardo blinked.

"You mean... I can come with you?"

"I figure that since you saved my companion's life and all, you've earned yourself a trip into the future. You know, to let you see the future that you'll help create."

Leonardo and Hermione shared a bright smile as they both made their way into the TARDIS. The Doctor closed the door behind them and made his way over to the console.

"Nineteen ninety-seven sound good to you?" the Doctor asked, and Hermione nodded. This would also give her time to go see her parents while the Doctor showed Leonardo around.

"Can we land near my house?" she asked. "I want to go see my parents."

"Sure, why not?" the Doctor said as he started pushing buttons, pulling levers and pumping another lever. The grinding sound of an engine refusing to start was heard, and the TARDIS faded away from fifteenth century Italy. The Doctor smiled. "And now, we wait a mo."

The TARDIS shook slightly, indicating that they had landed, and the Doctor grinned at Leonardo, gesturing for the door.

"Out there is... the future?" Leonardo asked, getting a nod from the Doctor. Hermione grinned as well and grabbed Leonardo's hand, leading him away.

"Come on, we need to dress you up for the future!"

Within moments, the two came back. Leonardo was now dressed in a very fancy, black business suit, complete with a white shirt and red tie.

"Do people really wear this in the future?" Leonardo asked, and the Doctor laughed.

"Only the fancy ones," he said and walked over to the doors, opening them. "Well, after you, Leo."

Leonardo tentatively stepped out of the TARDIS, looking around in amazement at the buildings surrounding them.

"Oh, there's my house," Hermione said, gesturing for a red house across the street. She waved at the Doctor and Leonardo, then started walking off.

"Wait a minute," the Doctor said, digging his hand into his pocket, before throwing a set of keys to Hermione, who caught them. "Keys to the TARDIS. It's about time you had your own."

Hermione smiled and pocketed the keys, before making her way over to the house again.

"Yes, Leo, this is the future," the Doctor told Leonardo, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Indoor plumbing, fast-food, horse-less vehicles, you're gonna love it. Come on, I'll buy you some fish n' chips."

"This truly is amazing," Leonardo said half an hour later over his chips as he looked at the passing cars. The Doctor chuckled, attacking his food with the same fervor he attacked the Gallemytes with.

"Close your mouth, Leo. You look like someone from the past."

"But I _am_ someone from the past."

"Yeah, but we don't want people to know that, do we?" the Doctor said as he snatched a few chips from Leonardo, biting down on them. Leonardo looked contemplative.

"You say I help contribute to all this?"

"Yes, so be proud," the Doctor said, not looking up from his food. "If you want, I can take you to see one of your greatest paintings, the Mona Lisa. I think Hermione has a copy of it hanging in her house."

"The Mona Lisa..." Leonardo mumbled, humming. "I have not yet gotten any request to paint such a thing."

"Don't worry, you won't for a while." The Doctor followed Leonardo's gaze to a double-decker bus, and he smiled. "It's called a bus. It takes a large number of people to different destinations for a smaller fee."

"I do not think that I like it here," Leonardo said thoughtfully. "I am too used to my own time, I think."

"To each his own, I suppose," the Doctor said with a shrug. "Personally, I love to see the evolution of mankind, to see their technological advancements and achievements."

"Speaking of technological advancements," Leonardo said thoughtfully. "What, exactly, are you, Doctor?"

"I'm called a Time Lord," the Doctor said. "I hail from the planet Gallifrey."

"Do you ever miss your home?"

"Every day."

Leonardo looked confused. "Then why do you not go home?"

"I cannot. It no longer exists," the Doctor said sadly. Luckily, he had placed a privacy charm around them, so no one could listen in on them. "There was a war, with a race known as the Daleks. We lost. Everyone lost, including the Daleks... I'm now the last of the Time Lords."

"I am truly sorry for your loss, Doctor."

The Doctor nodded and turned back to his chips. He started scarfing them down, seemingly swallowing his sadness along with the chips. Leonardo spent the rest of their meal watching the Doctor, trying to put himself in the Doctor's position, a time-and-space traveler, all alone in the universe. It had to be a terrible existence...

–

Slowly, the TARDIS faded into view outside Leonardo's workshop, and the doors opened, Leonardo stepping out. He turned around and waved at Hermione and the Doctor, who waved back as they stood in the doorway.

"Thank you, my friends! This has been a very interesting experience for me!" Leonardo said, smiling brightly. "Please, feel free to come visit me again!"

"We will, Leo," the Doctor said, waving. "If you ever want to go traveling with us, just wait. The TARDIS will find you."

"Goodbye, Leonardo," Hermione said happily. "It's been an honor meeting you!"

"Again, Hermione, the honor was all mine."

The Doctor and Hermione watched as Leonardo entered his workshop with a wave. Together, they closed the doors to the TARDIS and walked over to the console.

"Now, how about we try to get it right this time?" the Doctor asked as he started working the controls. "Let's just hope the TARDIS doesn't fling us somewhere else this time, eh?"

"Let's," Hermione said as she braced herself. A second later, the TARDIS started shaking, fading away from fifteenth century Italy...

–

**So, what did you guys think? Please review!**


End file.
